Downey, CA Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)

' Both tiers carry a 'P' designation, meaning Permitted, across all four residential zone columns: R-1 (all lot sizes), R-2, R-3 and R-3-O. 06(a), the table governs what is allowed in each residential zone, and any use not listed on the table is deemed Not Permitted by default; family day care homes are affirmatively listed as permitted rather than left out. Unlike several other residential uses on the same table, such as apartments, duplexes, and residential care facilities, no 'Notes and Exceptions' cross-reference or conditional use permit requirement is attached to either day care tier, meaning a small or large family day care home does not need Site Plan Review, a Conditional Use Permit, or Commission approval to operate in a Downey residential zone.

This zoning treatment lines up with state law: California's Health and Safety Code recognizes family day care as a residential use as a matter of right, and Downey's own use table implements that by permitting both size tiers city-wide rather than confining them to a subset of residential zones. A prospective home day care operator still must obtain the required state license through the California Department of Social Services and comply with any building and fire code requirements that apply to the residence, but no separate zoning entitlement or use permit from the City is needed before the license is issued.